From winning FOX‘s American Idol to taking home the honor for “Best New Artist” at Sunday night’s ACM’s, Scotty McCreery has had one great year. Speaking to reporters following the Academy of Country Music Awards, the “Water Tower Town” singer opens up about his fans, his music, and his plan to balance college and his career.

On his supportive fan base….

“They never cease to amaze me. They’re wild on Twitter, and they’re insane, man. They’ve been by my side since American Idol, and they keep on coming out. I appreciate them.”

On his new single, “Water Tower Town”….

“To me, that’s the most Scotty McCreery song on the album. That talks about where I came from. That talks about my values and my beliefs. So I’m proud to sing that onstage every night. It comes from the heart.”

On his double life as a high school student and Country music star….

“I love it. I’ll tell you, it’s cool because the people in my high school don’t treat me like I’m on tour with Brad Paisley. They treat me like I’m Scotty. I was scared about that my first day back. I think I went to school my first day back with shorts, flip-flops and a T-shirt because I wanted to make sure they knew, ‘Hey, I’m still a part of you guys. I don’t want to come in here holding up an award or looking like I’m a big shot. I just want to be one of y’all — a little bit, until the weekend.’”

On performing on American Idol this season….

“They haven’t told me anything yet. I don’t know the details, and that’s legit. I ain’t lying to you. But I did Thursday (March 29), and they were all wishing me luck, so it will be cool to get back there and say, ‘We did it!’ Because they launched me. They gave me the platform to be able to sing for you guys, and I appreciate it.”

On his college plans….

“North Carolina State — that’s where I’m heading. My dad went there, and I grew up a fan, but that’s not necessarily why I was drawn to it. I think at 18 years old, I’ve still got a lot of learning to do. I still don’t know if I’m ready to make the move away from home for good yet. Give me a couple of years and I’ll be more mature. I’ll know more about the business, then maybe I’ll move to Nashville. But for right now, the best spot for me is home.

“And I’ll still be working. We’re going to work my college around the road. We’re going to get creative with my schedule — a two-day schedule or something — so I can work on the weekends. We’ll figure it out.”

On how things have changed in his life in the past year….

“I remember I was the kid a Lowe’s Foods. At Idol, they scare you and tell you that you can’t tell anybody, or you get kicked off the show. So I wrote a little note on the front of my cashier register while I was bagging groceries that said, ‘Watch American Idol tonight. A Lowe’s Foods employee will be on.’

“I was trying to get people to watch. And now I’m here and this award’s in my hand. It’s been fast. It seems like it was yesterday. But I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, and I hope there are a lot more minutes to come.”